(reference to pax Romana), do not support Fonteian authorship, Weinstock (47–48) proposes,
nonetheless, that the attributions may be genuine: Fonteius may have attempted to follow
Nigidius who couched contemporary politics within a Graeco-Etruscan astrological model,
but Fonteius’ political references are oblique or absent. Bram 1975: 305, n. 16 suggests that
Firmicus’ citation of F (A.) belongs to this man.
St. Weinstock, “C. Fonteius Capito and the Libri Tagetici,” PBSR ns 5 (1950) 44–49; Bram (1975); BNP
5 (2004) 491 (#I.6), K.-L. Elvers, (#I.9), Fr. Graf.
GLIM
F ⇒ I F
Fronto (Astrol.) (120 BCE – 350 CE)
Latin astrologer who published rules for forecasting by stars and copied H’
antiscia theory, though not usefully, according to F M 2.pr.2, 4. (Firmicus
favored the rare aspect antiscia, i.e., “opposite shadows,” which relates planets to signs equi-
distant from Mid-Heaven or Imum Caelum.) Bram 1975: 305, n.16 suggests that “Fronto”
may be corrupted from F C.
RE 7.1 (1910) 112, Fr. Boll; St. Weinstock, “C. Fonteius Capito and the Libri Tagetici,” PBSR ns 5
(1950) 44–49.
GLIM
Fronto (Agric.) (100 – 450 CE)
The G preserves five extracts (three substantial) from an otherwise unknown
agronomist Fronto; Wellmann suggested emending ΦΡONTONOΣ to ΦΡONTINOΥ,
i.e., I F, not elsewhere attested to have written agronomy. The Latin name
Fronto, known from the Augustan era (PIR2 F-485; LGPN 1.476, 3B.436), is concentrated
in the 2nd c. CE. Fronto advised against intercropping white- and red-grape vines (5.15,
pp. 139–140 Beckh), offered 29 ways to preserve wine (7.12, pp. 196–198: mix in salt, or
gypsum, or oak chips, immerse a hot sword, etc.), and advised on the care and judging of
dogs (19.2, pp. 502–504); see also 7.22 (clarifying wine, p. 208) and 12.10 (vegetables benefit
from intercropping with arugula, p. 355).
RE 7.1 (1910) 112 (#13), M. Wellmann.
PTK
Fufi(ci)us (ca 100 – ca 50 BCE?)
Listed by V (7. pr.14) as the first Roman to have written a short book (presumably
one scroll, liber) on architecture. Called Fuficius in MSS BM Harleanius 2767 and
Wolfenbüttel, Gudianus 69. Possibly the same as Q. Fufius Calenus, tribune of the plebs in
61 BCE and legate of C in Gaul and Spain.
BNP 5 (2004) 570–571 (#3), U. Egelhaaf-Gaiser
Thomas Noble Howe
FRONTO (ASTROL.)